Route 35 lane closures begin in Aberdeen
and Old Bridge

Major construction gears up on safety and drainage improvement project between Greenwood Drive and Prospect Avenue

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced that long-term lane closures are scheduled to begin this week in connection with a safety improvement and congestion relief project along a 1.25 mile stretch of Route 35 between Greenwood Drive and Prospect Avenue in Aberdeen, Monmouth County and Old Bridge, Middlesex County.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. today, NJDOT’s contractor, Green Construction, is scheduled to close the left lane in both the northbound and southbound directions in order to remove the existing median barrier. One lane will be maintained in each direction. New temporary pavement will be installed at select locations to widen Route 35 for use in subsequent construction stages. Later this month, the one southbound lane will be shifted to the northbound roadway as work is done on the southbound lanes.

Preliminary activities and utility relocation work began in March with minimal impact to the state highway. NJDOT restricted work that would require lane closures until after Labor Day, as Route 35 is a shore route.

Route 35 experiences chronic flooding along this stretch where a pair of culverts carry the roadway over Long Neck Creek and Whale Creek, often resulting in the closure of the highway. This $15.7 million project will raise the level of Route 35 by as much as four feet, with the highest increases in elevation at the culverts. Other work involves roadway rehabilitation, widening, drainage and safety improvements, replacing the two culverts and improvements to four intersections.

NJDOT will modify the existing signalized intersections at Birchwood Drive, County Road, Cliffwood Avenue and Amboy Avenue to optimize traffic flow and improve safety through the corridor. The project is scheduled for completion by fall 2015.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.